GEOList Summary: Process Improvement

We are in the 2nd year of our now annual open funding grant cycle. By design, we decided to have an annual grant application deadline and generally follow the same grant cycle from applications submitted (July), to final awards announced (November), to grant agreements executed and funds paid (December). And in each funding cycle, identical grant periods, annual reporting and payment schedules (November/December). However, we’re now realizing (ha!) that as each funding cycle is annually held, we’ll have a collision of multiple funding cycles – both applications in the current year that are being approved and paid AND grants awarded in previous years that are submitting annual reports for their next payment all at the same time. Which of course will make for an extremely busy November/December every year. Glad we’re thinking about this now before we get too many cycles under our belt, but even with a 2018 and 2019 cycle, it’s a bit daunting especially for a smaller staff. Has anyone run into this before? Any advice?